Somateria fischeri
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The spectacled eider (pronounced ) (Somateria fischeri) is a large sea duck that breeds on the coasts of Alaska and northeastern Siberia. The spectacled eider is slightly smaller than the common eider at 52–57 cm (20.5–22.5 in) in length. The male is unmistakable with its black body, white back, and yellow-green head with the large circular white eye patches which give the species its name. The drake's call is a weak crooning, and the female's a harsh croak.
The female is a rich brown bird, but can still be readily distinguished from all ducks except other eider species on size and structure. The paler goggles are visible with a reasonable view and clinch identification. Immature birds and eclipse adult drakes are similar to the female.
The binomial commemorates the German scientist Johann Fischer von Waldheim. Spectacled eiders occur along the coast of Alaska and easternmost Russia and into the Bering Sea. There are two breeding populations in Alaska and one in Russia. Historically there were more breeding individuals in Alaska but more recently the Russian population is much larger. The United States population is an estimated 3,000–4,000 nesting pairs.
The spectacled... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emirates Park Zoo | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 2 | Langenberg Wildlife Park | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 3 | Birdworld | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Alaska SeaLife Center | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spectacled Eider sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 88th most-seen of the 285 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Spectacled Eider in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May and July–September, the lowest months.
Only Wadden Sea National Park, in our data
Wadden Sea National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Spectacled Eider sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spectacled Eider is recorded against all the birds logged in Wadden Sea National Park (53 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
